As Doctor Alban would say… “Sing Hallelujah!”. My hands down favourite illustrator ever James Jarvis has updated his own site with tonnes of his work from throughout the years as well as linking to an amazing Flickr and blog with a wealth of his creations. Words can’t describe how many memories have come flooding back just looking at his work, like the first time I saw his Silas toys in London’s Slam City Skates when I applied to Central Saint Martin’s eons ago, his work for The Face that assured me there was another “creative” world out there beyond my hovel while in college in Limerick, I could go on. Probably best to give me a moment here, I think I’m going to well up…

Having followed the path of Antony Micallef’s career over the years its really interesting to see him continue to develop his style, getting darker, distressed, yet strangely more and more compelling. One of the Pictures On Walls stable, he is prolific yet enigmatic, preferring to let the fruits of his labours speak volumes for him rather than his words. His juxtaposed compositions are an insight in a world where everything is not alright, but that’s what makes for great viewing.

Vanesssa da Silva is cute and fun and full of inspirations, just like her illustration and fashion work. I met her when she was working at print mecca Eley Kishimoto, but had previously been introduced to her work by way of the cool logo she created for Dolls boutique. She is out on her own now producing fashion lines and drawing all over everything. With two collections for Topshop under her belt, a growing client base for her main line fashion, Pepsi logos, cakes and collaborations a go-go, she is dedicated to drawing and dreaming and covering everything possible with her graphic style. Here is a sneak peak at whats to come with her next collection Society Gypsy.

A new exhibition opens tonight at the Blue Leaf Gallery and features some of the work we curated for last years ABSOLUT Original show.
Wildly Different Things: New York and Dublin’ opens 25th February 2010 at ‘The Observatory’, 7-11 Sir John Rogersons Quay, Dublin 2.
The exhibition continues until 20th March and will be open to the public 10am-5pm Tuesday to Friday; 12pm to 4pm Saturday.

You’ve got to hand it to Ian Stevenson, his style of illustration is 100% unique and that’s being understated. I found this gem on his recently revamped site and gave me quite the giggle. The wonderland he has created for the guy in the story is much like his own mind should we ever get inside it, a lovely place to visit but you’ll long for your own home if you’re around too long. Bonkers with a capital B.

Revealing the world of a strange small man, who spends his days away from the world. While divulging in strange pleasures he is suddenly thrown into a fantastical journey. Written & Directed by Ian Stevenson & Luke Seomore. Music by Graffiti 6. Illustrator Ian Stevenson, Animator Alex Dobbin.

More here.

Details of the next For The Love of… show has reached us. For The Love of Change runs from March 4th - March 11th at Mill Street Studios.

“A new year, a new decade. Change is happening all over the world and the emphasis is on the creative community to lead the way in innovation and inspiration. “FTLO Change” is a chance for creatives to express their views, concerns, opinions, predictions etc on the subject of change. There will be nearly 50 artists and designers works on show in Mill Street Studios in response to this subject from Thursday 4th March for one week only. Including graphic design, painting, illustration, photography, installation art, fashion and graffiti.”

The opening night is on Thursday 4th at 7PM feature live illustration from 6 of Ireland’s finest, live music & EP launch from Bantum and Director of Fringe Festival, Róise Goan, will be opening proceedings. As well as that there will be complimentary drinks and prizes to be won.

Get tickets for the Banksy pop up cinema opening this weekend, they’re going very very fast.

More information here.

I’ve been following the work of Copenhagen design duo, Vilsbøl de Arce, for a few seasons now, but I still find it impossible to pronounce their name. Their clothes merge fashion, art and experimentation to create visually arresting results. For their recent AW10 show they presented a collection based on muscle strand theory using leather cut into delicate tissue-like strips. I have a friend working at JDS architects who built the set. To the audience, the skeletal frame that was made of spliced wood with lazer plexi to keep it apart, moved with the music, but backstage there were 20 people in place moving it up and down! It’s hard not to say Avant-garde when talking about their work and it’s easy to see why they are becoming popular with stage divas like Lady Gaga & Rihanna.

It is with great sadness that The Small print learned this morning that the puppeteer and children’s television broadcaster, Eugene Lambert, has died at his home in Dublin, at the age of 82.

As a puppeteer and ventriloquist, Lambert was long a stalwart of the Irish vaudeville scene, particularly in Dublin, although he also toured the country frequently with his wife Mai, with whom he had 10 children. His most common acts were with Finnegan, a mischievous storyteller, and Judge, a pensive dog.

With the rise of television in the 1960s, the Lambert Puppet Theatre became a fixture in Irish broadcasting. In the early 1960s, Lambert devised a puppet series for children entitled Murphy agus a Chairde. Murphy was a giant who lived in a magical kingdom. Its king, “An Rí”, only had one problem - constant mischief from two witches, Feemy and Babóg. The Irish TV broadcaster RTÉ was the only station most Irish people could receive, and Murphy’s adventures were soon an important part of most children’s viewing.

But for most Irish children he will always hbe remembered for his role as the mischievous and greedy “O’Brien”, known for his child-like curiosity and cowardice in the face of magical events. Lambert and his family provided many regular (puppet) characters - Judge the dog, Mr Crow (who lived in a cuckoo clock), the mysterious Foxy Loxy, and the untrustworthy Ssneaky Ssnake.

RIP.

On Wednesday 24th February next three animation Oscar nominees (Richie Baneham of Weta Digital, Tomm Moore of Cartoon Saloon and Darragh O’Connell of Brown Bag Films) will visit Ballyfermot College.

They will also be joined on the night by Andrew Kavanagh (Founder/CEO Kavaleer Productions).

The schedule for the event is as follows:

6pm: Talk by BAFTA award winning visual effects animator and Oscar nominee Richie Baneham (nominated in the category of Visual Effects
for ‘Avatar’)

7.15pm: Panel Discussion: Richie Baneham will be joined on stage by fellow Oscar nominee and IFTA Rising Star award winner Tomm Moore (nominated in the category of Animated Feature Film for Cartoon Saloon’s ‘The Secret of Kells’) and Oscar nominee Darragh O’Connell (nominated in the category of Short Film (Animated) for Brown Bag Films ‘Granny O’Grimms Sleeping Beauty’). The panel discussion will be chaired by Andrew Kavanagh (recent IFTA nominee for Kavaleer Production’s ‘Hasan Everywhere’).

All of the talks and the panel discussion will take place in the Anna Brett Hall, Media Building, Ballyfermot College of Further Education, Ballyfermot Road, Dublin 10.

This event is open to animation students, graduates, staff and industry professionals.